Kumho Tire Labor and Management Reach Final Agreement
Gwangju Plant, Damaged by Fire in May, to Restart Operations
Partial Restoration Aims for Daily Production of 6,000 Tires
Kumho Tire announced on the 30th that labor and management have reached a final agreement regarding the restart of operations at the Gwangju plant, which suffered a major fire in May, and plans for the construction of a new plant.
According to Kumho Tire, Gwangju Plant 1 will partially restore its facilities and aims to resume operations with a daily production capacity of 6,000 tires within this year.
The company plans to invest in equipment to secure production capacity, and any shortage of rubber and semi-finished products will be supplied by the Gokseong plant and external sources.
The new plant, which is being built in the Bitgreen Industrial Complex in Hampyeong, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027 and will begin full-scale operations in January 2028. The first phase of production will have an annual capacity of 5.3 million tires.
Once the Gwangju plant site is sold, Plant 1 will be relocated to the new Hampyeong facility, and the company will proceed with the construction of the second-phase plant. During this process, the employment of current employees will be guaranteed.
A Kumho Tire representative stated, "We sincerely apologize to the residents affected by the fire and would like to thank the relevant agencies and citizens who have supported us. There are still many challenges to address before the final relocation, but we will do our best to ensure a smooth process."
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